An Australian judge sentenced triple murderer Erin Patterson to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years on Monday for poisoning four and killing three of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms.
Justice Christopher Beale told the Victoria state Supreme Court that Patterson’s crimes involved an enormous betrayal of trust.
“Your victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years, as you acknowledged in your testimony,” Beale said.
Patterson, 50, was convicted in July of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, with a lunch of beef Wellington “pasties” laced with foraged death cap mushrooms.
She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, who spent weeks in a hospital.
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Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon Patterson, was invited but did not attend the July 2023 lunch served to her parents-in-law and her estranged husband’s aunt and uncle at her home.
“Not only did you cut short three lives and cause lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating extended Patterson and Wilkinson families, you inflicted untold suffering on your own children, whom you robbed of their beloved grandparents,” Beale added.
The judge told Patterson that only she knows “why you committed” the crimes.
Patterson showed little emotion during the sentencing hearing and kept her eyes closed for much of it.
Erin Patterson departs the courthouse following her sentencing at the Supreme Court of Victoria on Sept. 8, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia.
Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
Prosecution and defence lawyers both agreed that a life sentence was an appropriate punishment for Patterson on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
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Defence lawyers had asked for Patterson to become eligible for parole after serving 30 years but prosecutors argued she should never be considered for parole because she did not deserve the court’s mercy.
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Murder by mushroom: Australian woman convicted of killing relatives with poisoned lunch
Patterson, who turns 51 on Sept. 30, will be 82 years old when she becomes eligible for parole in November 2056.
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Beale said that because Patterson was classified as a “notorious” prisoner who had to be kept separate from other inmates for her own safety, her conditions were harsher than those of a mainstream prisoner.
“I infer that, given the unprecedented media coverage of your case, and the books, documentaries and TV series about you which are all in the pipeline, you are likely to remain a notorious prisoner for many years to come, and, as such, remain at significant risk from other prisoners,” Beale said.
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Wilkinson, the sole survivor, thanked police, prosecutors and health services after the sentencing.
“We’re thankful that when things go wrong, there are good people and services and systems available to help us recover,” he told reporters outside court, without commenting on the actual sentencing himself.
“Our lives and the life of our community depends on the kindness of others. I’d like to encourage everybody to be kind to each other. Finally, I want to say thank you to the many people from across Australia and around the world who, through their prayers and messages of support, have encouraged us,” Wilkinson added.
In August, Wilkinson told the court that he felt only “half alive” following the death of his wife and the loss of his two closest friends.
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When describing his late wife to the court, Wilkinson said she was full of love, kindness and self-control.
Heather Wilkinson (left) and Ian Wilkinson (right) attended a lunch with a relative that led to Heather’s death and left Ian fighting for his life after they were poisoned with death cap mushrooms.
The Salvation Army Australia – Museum/Facebook
“I only feel half alive without her,” he said, before weeping. “It’s one of the distressing shortcomings of our society that so much attention is showered on those who do evil and so little on those who do good.”
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He also said his life “is greatly impoverished without” Gail and Don Patterson, the parents of Patterson’s estranged husband, Simon.
“I’m distressed that Erin has acted with callous and calculated disregard for my life and the lives of those I love,” he said. “What foolishness possesses a person to think that murder could be the solution to their problems, especially the murder of people who have only good intentions towards her?”
Wilkinson did offer Patterson forgiveness for what she had done.
“My prayer for her is that she will use her time in jail wisely to become a better person,” he said.
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In Canada, death cap mushrooms are present in many of B.C.’s forests but may also be found in city environments associated with many species of imported trees. According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, the mushrooms have been spotted on Vancouver Island and in the Lower Mainland.
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Death cap mushrooms look similar to common puffball mushrooms, but should never be eaten. If you suspect you may have consumed a death cap mushroom, you should seek emergency medical care immediately.
Symptoms of being poisoned by a death cap mushroom include low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.
— With files from Global News and The Associated Press
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